In Season: Sweet Potatoes

Read our guide to picking, storing and cooking with this seasonal tuber

Fall has arrived, which means grocery stores and green markets across the country are piled high with seasonal sweet potatoes. Here, chef Marie Hejl, host of cooking show, Cooking with Marie, shares her tips and tricks for choosing and cooking with the autumn vegetable.

Sweet potatoes, or "yams," are a terrific enjoy this season, particularly around the holidays. The tubers are loaded with vitamins and minerals, including beta-carotene, vitamin C, fiber, copper, potassium and iron, and—despite their name—won't cause your blood sugar to spike as rapidly as their paler counterparts. Even better, because these orange-fleshed root vegetables are naturally sweet, there's no need to add loads of sugar to make them appealing to the taste buds. This Thanksgiving, instead of the popular marshmallow-topped casserole, why not try a recipe that combines sweet potatoes with savory and spicy flavors, such as my Oven-Roasted Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges (see below)?

When choosing sweet potatoes, look for tubers that are firm and free of cracks, bruises and soft spots. Once home, store your selections in a cool, dark place, such as your pantry, and avoid refrigerating the vegetable before cooking, as cold temperatures negatively impact its flavor.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Spray large, foil-lined baking sheet with nonstick spray, or use a napkin to spread olive oil over the foil in place of the spray.

Place the potato wedges in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Pour oil mixture over the potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle potatoes generously with salt and pepper and toss again.

Spread potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake potatoes for 15 minutes; remove pan from oven and turn potatoes. Bake again until potatoes are tender and slightly caramelized, about 15 more minutes. (If using a convection oven, reduce initial cooking time to 10 minutes, then cook again for 10 more minutes after turning.)

Transfer potatoes to a serving dish and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle parsley over finished potatoes. Serve potatoes plain as a side dish, or with barbeque sauce for dipping as an appetizer.

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